Elders Council in Conversation….8-9

Elders Council of Newcas tle

Older People working for Older People

March - April 201 6 Issue 70

N ewcastle Budget Date for your diary!

– age friendly?

Once more, the City Council has had its funds cut by Central Government. This year, they had to find another £30,000,000 of “savings”, which they found partly by increasing charges and partly by cutting services.

Particular areas of relevance for the Elders Council include: Elders Council  a reduction of the social care workforce  reducing levels of care and support in the Information Day home ‘The really useful day out!’

 a cap on the allocation of carer support See pg. 10-11  closing the dementia care unit at Byker for further details Lodge

 withdrawing funding from Scrogg Road

(a community mental health resource Inside this issue: Page centre)  withdrawing funding to Age UK for Elders Council at Work ...... ….. 3-7 supporting lunch clubs  reduction in funding to general advice Elders Council in Conversation….8-9

centres Elders Council Information Day 10-11  withdrawing funding for telecare Elders Council Review….….…..14-15 - cont. - Things to do…..……...... 16-17

Volunteering …………………....18-19 Follow the tea cup symbol throughout Correspondence...…………20, 21, 27 the Newsletter to find various social Poetry Corner …………..…..… 22-23 activities. Why not Scam Alert………………………..…24 join in the fun? Contact Details………………….… 28

Newcastle Budget 2016-17

 withdrawing funding for the Trades Register and handypersons service provided in Newcastle by Mears  reducing hours for community hubs and library services  reviewing neighbourhood wardens service  reducing ward budgets, community teams and associated public meetings

The Elders Council sent in its response to the budget proposals and the main points that we made are laid out below:

1. We have been working with the Council to build Newcastle as an age-friendly city; but this budget will make that harder. We believe that this budget, taken alongside other changes such as welfare reform and the Housing Bill, will exacerbate the inequalities in quality of life and healthy life expectancy in the city. 2. We are worried by the impact of the proposals upon preventive services such as information services, handyperson schemes, lunch clubs, Safe Newcastle and library opening hours. 3. We anticipate that the range and depth of the cuts to services which provide care and support to older people will result in people not receiving support in a timely manner and will build up demand for higher-cost services. 4. The proposals relating to cuts in adult social work and in care and support within the home, which will result in delayed assessments, tighter care packages and a withdrawal of funding for health-related services, will all have a significant effect on older people at a time when they most need support. It will particularly affect those people who cannot call on family, friends or neighbours to provide additional help and will undoubtedly result in higher demands on health services.

In other words, we are pretty gloomy about the future for services for older people. We will therefore be writing to our MPs and Members of the House of Lords raising our concerns. We recognise that the City Council has no desire to make these cuts, which are forced upon it by Central Government, but that does not make them any more palatable.

To read the City Council’s full proposals for yourself, go to: http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/your-council-and-democracy/budget-annual-report- and-spending/budget/budget-2016-17 . And to see the full Elders Council response, go to www.elderscouncil.org.uk .

Although the budget consultation period is now over, if you have views and ideas on how we can make this a good city in which to grow old, please write in. Your views and experiences are important to us. 2

Elders Council at Work

Health and Social Care Working Group

Home Care Services Following the report about the future of home care services in the last Newsletter, members of the Working Group remain committed to ensuring that the views expressed at the Elders Council consultation event are taken seriously by the commissioners of services. Everyone is aware that while we are putting forward our expectations of what future services should be like, at the same time the City Council is having to reduce spending on services – including some of the services that enable us to live independently at home. It has been clear during our discussions that there is appreciation of some well-coordinated services, such as the Reablement Service, which helps people return to independent living after a stay in hospital. This programme is a good model of an integrated service (i.e., health and social care workers acting together as a team to provide support and care to prevent a return to hospital). As a result, there are benefits for those receiving this service, as well as saving the cost of a hospital bed. If only we could have more services like this.

The discussion continues at meetings on Friday 19 February and Friday 18 March.

Editors’ Note: Many of you attended an event on the ‘Future of Home Care Services’ at the City Library on 3rd December. The report of the event is now available on the Elders Council website. We have also submitted the report to Newcastle City Council, who are using the information to help them to set out the scope and quality of the services they will commission in the future. We have also sent the report to Healthwatch, who will incorporate the findings into the project they are currently doing on home care. A job well done by the Health and Social Care Group!

Newcastle’s Wellbeing for Life Strategy was published some time ago and sets out five ways to wellbeing, i.e. Stay Connected; Be Active; Take Notice; Keep Learning and Give. A report is now available of the wellbeing programme promoted jointly by the Friends of Jesmond Library and local Elders Council members.

Recognising that the Library is an important information hub for older people, a joint planning team has arranged a monthly series of meetings, starting in April 2014, on different aspects of ways to wellness. Each session has included information about WHY certain activities are important for wellbeing but then has gone on to practical details of HOW and WHERE it is possible to enjoy activities locally. Topics have included outdoor activities, art and music, crafts and hobbies, safety and warmth at home, keeping learning, and eating well – including a cookery demonstration by Real Food Works.

Each session has attracted around 30 participants, who have enjoyed the social contact as well as the information exchange. The planning group plans to re-launch the programme in April with some new activities. In the meantime, the Working Group will be discussing what we can learn from this initiative and how Elders Council members can be involved in promoting wellbeing in their localities. 3

vElders Council at work

Housing Group

‘I like living here’ exploring our housing options

In the last edition of the newsletter, we mentioned that we are planning a series of visits to different types of specialist housing to give us an opportunity to find out about the different types of housing available in the city. We’ve been so busy that it is taking us a bit longer than we hoped to organise the programme. However, we are working on it and there will be further information in the next newsletter. If you are interested in this programme, please let us know so that we can keep you up to date with progress.

Thank you to those of you who have already contacted us expressing an interest in coming along, we will be in touch as soon as the programme is finalised.

Communication Working Group

Listen in to your own special radio programme

Everyone’s tomorrow – today! is the Elders Council radio programme that goes out on the first Friday of every month between 2 and 4 pm on the community radio station NE1fm (102.5fm).

Your next two programmes will be as follows:

 Friday 4 March – Elders Council Information Day plus other news  Friday 1 April – Keeping Fit & Well plus other news

If you have difficulty in finding the wavelength 102.5fm on your radio, you can listen via the Internet on NE1fm Webplayer http://ne1fm.net/webplayer .

We are keen to get our members’ views on our programmes, so please listen in and send in your comments. Email our co-ordinator at [email protected] or write to Steve at 166 Wingrove Road, NE4 9BX. Please include any suggestions for topics you would like to hear about.

We are also looking into setting up a Listeners Panel which can provide direct feedback to our radio team. If you are interested in being a member of the regular Listeners Panel, then please email or write to us and we will get in touch with you.

vElders Council at work

Older Person Friendly City

City Centre We are still working on updating our report about the older person friendliness of the City Centre and keeping track of the current developments, such as changes in John Dobson Street and in Eldon Square. In the last Newsletter we asked for comments from readers about what you enjoy in the City Centre. Members of the Working Group have some examples, but we would still like to hear more from you. For instance, what makes a visit a good experience for you? Is it a visit to the Grainger Market? or sitting in Eldon Square? or going to the cinema? Please share tips for a good day out in the City Centre.

Fun and Fitness afternoon, Jesmond Dene Visitor Centre, 19 May Ever since the Working Group’s report about the older person friendliness of parks and recreation areas, we have organised an event specially for older people in one of the parks. This year we shall be returning to the Visitor Centre in Jesmond Dene, and this event will be part of the Jesmond Community Festival which runs from 6 to 22 May. (See pg. 12 for further information).

Last year the theme of our event was Walking for Health – through history. The good news is that our patron, John Grundy, has agreed to give an inspiring account of the history of Jesmond Dene, which can then be followed by a short walk to the places of historical interest. So members are invited to come and join us for an afternoon of enjoyable activities to keep fit and have fun at the same time.

The next meeting of this Working Group will be on Monday 7 March, 10.30am- 12.30pm in Broadacre House, Market Street East. Please telephone the Elders Council office for further details.

vElders Council at work

Transport and Highways Working Group

Central Station As you may be aware, Nexus is refurbishing Central Metro Station as part of their £389m “Metro: all change” programme.

To date, the station has closed early from 8pm each night between Sunday and Thursday to allow the principal contractor to work through the night away from peak passenger times and so minimise the effect on Metro users.

Nexus has now reminded us that: “We are now approaching our first weekend closure in March to allow for in-depth electrical work within the station. Central Station Metro will close at 8pm on Thursday 10 March and reopen at 5am Monday 14 March. Please note that the station will be fully closed all day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Passengers will be advised to use Monument, with taxi provision in place for passengers who are unable to walk and hold a concessionary travel pass. Customer Services staff will be on hand during the closure to direct intending passengers.“

Going to the Shops - the free buses to the supermarkets in Newcastle.

In January, the Elders Council Transport and Highways Working Group discussed the above topic and thought it would be helpful to members to provide information on the free buses available. Here are the details of the Tesco and Asda buses and timetables.

ASDA provides a free bus service to its supermarket in Fossway, Byker. There are three different local routes, all running Monday to Saturday.

The A1 Bus travels a circular route hourly between Asda and Rodney Street/Walker Road taking in Allendale Road and Raby Way, from 9.15am until 2.15pm. Service A1 also operates Hail and Ride stopping at any safe place on request on Allendale Road, Albion Row, Raby Way and Conyers Road.

The A2 Bus-travels hourly between Asda and Pottery Bank taking in Blount Street, Wharrier Street/Lightfoot Sports Centre, Dovercourt Road, and Belmont Street, from about 9.30am to 2.30pm. Service A2 operates Hail & Ride stopping at any safe place on request, on Grace Street, Blount Street, Benson Road, Roman Avenue, St Anthony’s Road, Wharrier Street,

vElders Council at work

Transport and Highways Working Group

Scrogg Road, Church Street, Greenford Road, Dovercourt Road, Greenford Road, Oldfield Road, Burwood Road, Pottery Bank, Felling View & Belmont Street.

The A3 Bus-travels a circular route between Asda and Denmark Street taking in Byker Metro and Heaton Road (post office) from 10am to 2pm. Service A3 operates Hail and Ride stopping at any safe place on request on Conyers Road and Denmark Street. Buses do not run on Sundays or Public Holidays. The timetables for these buses can be obtained via a leaflet from Asda itself and on the Nexus and Asda websites.

TESCO also provides a free bus service to its supermarket in Kingston Park. There are three services T1, T2, and T3. One bus provides the service on the three routes. The service operates Monday to Saturday, with extra journeys on the T1 on a Saturday afternoon.

The T1 Bus is the North Kenton, Fawdon service, travelling between Kenton Bar, Kenton Shops, North Kenton, Fawdon, Fawdon Mormon Church, Windsor Way and Tesco Newcastle Extra Kingston Park.

The T2 Bus is the Newbiggin Hall via Kenton Bar service, which runs via Kingston Park, Tudor Grange, Kenton Bank Foot, Newbiggin Hall Estate, Kenton Bar.

The T3 Bus – the Dinnington via Brunswick service – travels from Dinnington, Brunswick Village, Wideopen, Brunton Park, Regent Centre Metro, to Wansbeck Road then Tesco Newcastle Extra, Kingston Park.

Timetables can be obtained from the Kingston Park Store Customer Service desk or by ringing 0345 677 9483.

A Positive Experience

We would like to introduce a new regular feature to the Newsletter by including accounts of places or services which have given you a good experience because you are an older person. Here, to start the ball rolling, are two examples provided by Artie of Jesmond, who writes:

1. "I'm over 80 years old and use the Metro a great deal. When the train is full, almost invariably a young person will get up and offer me their seat." 2. "Recently my wife and I went for a meal at Wagamama in Old Eldon Square. Most of the seating is backless benches but on arrival the waiter took one look at us and asked if we would like a bench with a back."

Have you had any positive experiences like this perhaps in a shop or restaurant, with any of the public services, with someone who came to do work in your house or on any other occasion? If so, please tell us as we would like to include it in the Newsletter. 7

vElders Council at work

Elders Council in Conversation

We were successful in securing a grant from Awards for All to run a series of ‘conversations’ with older people in different parts of the city. There are two main reasons why we want to do this. We want more people to know about the Elders Council, what we do and how we do it. We also want to hear about what it’s like to live in different parts of the city and what makes a neighbourhood a good place in which to grow old.

We started our conversations in Kenton. We joined forces with the Bright Ideas Group, who have been working together for some time on developing local initiatives as part of a community budgets programme. We held four small events in different parts of the ward.

We pored over maps of the area identifying useful places to go and helpful people to meet. Based on our conversations, we found that Kenton is a good place to live. There is access to essential services such as shops, GP practices, community facilities, schools, transport and funeral parlours. Transport can always be improved, especially for those who are finding it harder to get out and about with lots of people using two local taxi firms. And there is no fish and chip shop in Kenton, much to the disappointment of one of our members.

There is a good range of activities on offer across the ward. We thought that there might be opportunities for the people organising activities in different centres to come

vElders Council at work

Elders Council in Conversation

together to share ideas and tips about developing and sustaining their programmes; also those attending had some thoughts about activities that used to happen taking place again. It’s hard work keeping local community centres open and developing a programme which attracts both loyal and new members.

Several people commented that they were glad that they had joined in our conversation as they found out about places and services they didn’t know. Finding ways of getting information and advice to people at the right time is a constant challenge. We know how important it is, which is why we invest so much of our time in producing the Elders Council newsletter and radio programme and holding our information days.

We would like to thank the Bright Ideas group for helping us to organise the conversations. If you took part in our conversations and would like to send us further feedback about living in Kenton, we would love to hear from you. If you came to the conversation and it sparked ideas of something you can do to make Kenton a better place to live, please us know. If you were not able to come along, but have something to tell us about living in Kenton, please write in. The information that you shared with us will be shared with the Bright Ideas group, who want to take some actions that will make a difference to help people grow older in Kenton well. If you want to join the group, please let us know and we will get someone to get in touch with you.

We have just started planning our next conversation, which will be in Dinnington.

Spotlight on Jesmond

Jesmond Community Festival

Once again community organisations in Chapman House (the Junior Department and around Jesmond have been busy of Newcastle High School for Girls) on preparing for Jesmond Community Thursday 12 May; and “Fun & Fitness for Festival, which this year will last from 6 to the Over-50s” in Millfield House, 22 May. Despite the name of the festival, Jesmond Dene, on Thursday 19 May. all events are open to folk from all over There are also concerts, jazz, talks, Newcastle (and beyond). Many venues walks, model steam trains, cricket, films, are close to a Metro station or bus-stop, flower arranging, food and art markets, including the festival parade, which and much more... passes along Osborne Road and Acorn Full festival programmes, including Road at mid-day on Saturday 7 May. Get further information on the two Elders there early, as the buses along Osborne Council events, can be obtained from the Road will be temporarily interrupted. Elders Council office, from Jesmond Most of the events are free, including two Library (telephone 0191 281 2385), at which the Elders Council of Newcastle www.jesmondfestival.org.uk or are sponsoring: “Put a Song in Your www.facebook.com/jesmondfestival . Heart”, an afternoon's entertainment at

Streets for People Jesmond …

… is a new community project that’s complete; you can do it on your phone looking to access funding to make or other device and there’s no limit to improvements in Jesmond – the number of observations you can improvements that will make it safer make. You’ll find the website with the and easier to walk and cycle there. map and survey for Jesmond, and

more information about Streets for The first stage of the project is about People, at gathering information from as many www.newcastle.gov.uk/streetsforpeopl people as possible. The organisers e . Or you can get a paper copy of the want to hear from people who live, map and the survey by ringing Ali on work, learn and spend their free time in 0191 277 7681 or 0785 582 5681. the area. They want to know what’s good, bad or indifferent about getting around places or using routes to local destinations and what your thoughts are about how to make it better.

They have a website with an interactive map and short survey to

VDementia

Are you a carer for a person living with dementia?

When it comes to understanding and supporting a person living with dementia, family carers are very often the most skilled and knowledgeable. Yet you will know that carers can face a number of really stressful situations that can be difficult to deal with.

Colleagues at the Dementia Innovation Hub have developed a FREE online course that will provide you with knowledge and advice that can help you connect with and care for someone living with dementia.

For more information about the course and details of how to sign up, just click the link below: https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/dementia-care

And please remember: if you don’t have access to the internet at home, you can go to your local library and ask the staff there to connect you.

VDigital Deli

IT Classes Project

The IT Classes Project sessions take place fortnightly on a Wednesday from 2 to 4pm on the following dates:  9 March  23 March Sessions are very informal with no set structure; you turn up with a list of things you want to learn and are given one-to-one support from a student. Tuition is tailor-made to suit you.

Places must be booked for each session to ensure that there are sufficient students to support older people attending. For further information or to book a place, please call Anne Richardson on 0191 208 2701.

EC Review

‘The Times They Are A-Changing’

The Elders Council has always tried to keep up with change. As our understanding grows of what living longer means to us as individuals and as a society, it is important that the Elders Council reflects on what it is doing; how it is working and what changes we need to make in the rapidly changing context in which we are working. We have been fortunate in securing stable funding for the organisation over many years, but we know that this is changing and we must develop new ideas to sustain the organisation in the future. To help us with this task, in February the Elders Council took part in a three week project with Northumbria University’s Design School. A team of 16 postgraduate students from the University’s Multidisciplinary Innovation MA/MSc programme worked collaboratively with the Elders Council on the project.

And a member of that student team has given us her view of what happened:

We’d really like to thank the Elders Council and all who were involved along the way for the opportunity to get involved with the work you do and play a small part in your organisation. The ideas, thoughts and opinions of everyone we met during the project helped inform, inspire and shape the work we carried out and it was something we all thoroughly enjoyed being part of.

Board Member: Board Member: ‘an impressive group of post graduates; ‘one the most productive and they listened carefully, questioned thought-provoking gathering incisively and gave us some insights into of EC Trustees.’ the Elders Council and innovative ideas to take away.’

EC Review

During the project we had the chance to work alongside the Board, some of the members and the Quality of Life Partnership team, running a number of activities such as workshops and focus groups. We also visited the Older Friendly City Working Group meeting and the IT Classes Project, as well as popping into NE1 radio (we even managed to secure a guest spot with one of our students making it on air!). During previous projects we’ve been unable to have those we’re working with have so much involvement in our work, so we really appreciate being able to work in collaboration with you and would like to extend our thanks to all who got involved and took part in the project.

At the end of the project we

showcased our work with a final exhibition, which was attended by some of the Board members and QoLP team, which we hope provided a platform for further discussion amongst ourselves and those who attended. We hope this short project has been of value to the organisation and will be the beginning of a much more complex but exciting piece of work for the Elders Council. We’ve had a fantastic time working on the project and would like to say a big thank you for the opportunity. Best of luck for the future!

The Board of Trustees intends to look at the findings of this review and a report from a task group working on governance. We’ll tell you more in our May/June edition of the Newsletter.

Things to do …

Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums

Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums (TWAM) are celebrating National Disabled Access Day on Saturday 12 March.

Offers at the venues include:

 free admission to particular exhibitions

 free admission to different venues

 free guided tours for disabled people

 free tours specifically targeting the BSL using Deaf community

 object-handling sessions for blind and partially-sighted people

 exhibitions for and produced by people with medium and profound learning disabilities

Participating venues include the Discovery Museum, the Laing Art Gallery, the Great North Museum: Hancock, South Shields Museum, and Segedunum Roman Fort.

For further details or to book a place, please ring Rob Latham on 0191 277 2313 or email him at [email protected] or visit www.twmuseums.org.uk .

Information Board

If your Sundays, aren’t very Fundays, Take some action: contact Chain Reaction. They may have the answer for you!

That’s what they say, anyway. SUNDAY SOCIAL is a new easy-going group who meet at the Laing art gallery at 2.30pm. The group is free and open to anyone who would like to pop along for some company and a cuppa.

Please contact Jude for any other information on 0300 300 7070.

Meet at the Cowgate Centre for a free cuppa and a chin-wag! . Every fortnight Cowgate Associated Tenants (CATs) hosts a coffee morning event 10.30am-12.00 noon in the Cowgate People Centre meeting room (on the opposite side of the Cowgate Centre building to its car park).

The coffee mornings are great opportunities for organisations and agencies to speak with local residents informally about a range of topics and for residents to ask specific questions of organisation reps.

If you’re free on Tuesday morning, why not pop in and get to know the members? CATs is keen to get some new members in 2016, so if you’ve got any ideas about things you’d like to see happening around Cowgate, come along and let them know!

Dates for March and April sessions are:

 Tuesday 8 March  Tuesday 22 March  Tuesday 5 April and  Tuesday 19 April

For further information call Cowgate People Centre on 0191 484 1294.

Newcastle Home Library Service

It is a FREE service delivered by Royal Voluntary Service volunteers in partnership with Newcastle Library Service. The service desperately needs more volunteers to take books out to older people in their own homes. Volunteers collect pre-packed bags of books from Kenton library and deliver them to people on a given route and then bring back the returns. Mileage is claimed back at 45p/mile and full training is given.

Any enquiries about volunteering or receiving books can be directed to Charly Mulvaney on 0191 300 9334.

Side by Side Project

This project aims to match people with dementia with a volunteer who will work with them to engage in community activities. This enables the person with dementia to continue to enjoy activities that they have always enjoyed or perhaps try something new. Volunteers have a comprehensive induction and have training to equip them to work with people with dementia. Typical activities might include going for a walk, going shopping, going to the cinema or theatre or just meeting for a coffee. The approach is entirely person-centred and to be agreed between the service user and volunteer.

The success of the project is heavily dependent on volunteers. Could you be one of them? If so, please ring Louise on 0191 298 3989 or email her at [email protected] .

Volunteer Mentors Needed!

Would you like to be a mentor for a large national charity working with offenders on a brand new project?

If so, please get in touch. Shelter is currently recruiting mentors to provide offenders with practical assistance around a variety of issues and to act as a positive role model. The aim of the service is to assist people who want to improve their life skills and create positive opportunities for their development.

As a mentor you will be involved in:

 providing assistance with practical tasks such as form-filling, setting up utilities for a new home or preparation for interviews or examinations

 helping to develop someone’s skills (including budget management, good diet and constructive use of leisure time)

 providing support to access services and local community facilities including cultural, health and sporting activities

 providing support to help someone to settle back into the community following a prison sentence

Shelter will give full training and support to all volunteers.

If you are interested, please contact: Laurence Bishop, Mentoring Officer Transforming Rehabilitation Northumbria

Working pattern: Monday to Thursday

Mobile: 07342 062 906 Tel.: 0344 515 1600 Email: [email protected]

Correspondence

Dear Editors,

On reading your article about de-cluttering in your last newsletter I thought your readers might be interested in my recent experience.

One morning, being up very early, I decided to shred some recent bills and receipts before the recycling bin was collected. Having completed this very quickly, I thought it would be a good idea to also shred some old bank statements and other outdated personal papers that are stored in a metal box-file in my wardrobe. This led to the thought: Whilst I am in the wardrobe why not have a clear out? Which when done led to: Why not do the drawers while I’m here?

2½ hours later I sat back to survey two carrier bags of shredded paper, one bag of rubbish and four bags of goods to go to the charity shop! All in all a very productive session and I must admit to a feeling of great satisfaction and sense of achievement. Whilst I am not suggesting that this sort of marathon would suit everyone, it might be worth noting that all it really takes to de-clutter is that first step, however small that may be.

Yours truly,

Dorothy Ternent

Dear Editors,

I have just read the newsletter and was very pleased to see the discussion of giving to beggars. This is a pressing issue in our city; many people aren’t sure whether to give or not and many are also concerned that if they don’t, these poor people may be going without any support. It is excellent to see the Elders Council providing thoughtful responses to tough issues.

Yours truly,

Rose Gilroy

Correspondence

Dear Editors,

The volunteers who run The Snug Café at Blackfriars @ the Ouseburn Centre would like to inform members of the Elders Council that they will be retiring on Wednesday 16th March. The St Vincent de Paul Society is hoping to continue running the existing café but arrangements are not finalised at this moment.

The current volunteers used to be involved in the coffee shop in MEA House for many years and a number of their customers followed them to Blackfriars. Many friendships have developed and it will be a sad time but as the average age of the volunteers is 70 years (with the youngest member of the team being 47 and the oldest 84) it is time to hang up the aprons, wooden spoons and scone cutters. They would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has supported them over the past four years in both of the venues they have managed enabling them to give many thousands of pounds to various charities, free meals to the homeless and discounted meals to those in need.

The knitting group have also knitted 253 metres of scarves supporting the Tesco Cancer Charity Appeal, 67 sets of baby coats, hats, mittens and bootees, hats and mittens for Tiny Lives and 63 sets of hats, mitts and scarves for homeless people. The clicking in the corner on a Tuesday was not a faulty clock but the needles working overtime. Thank you so much to everyone involved, supporting so many other people and charities.

Thank you again from:

Janet Heal, Audrey Naylor, Pat Purchase, Alice Ingram, Rose Mewton, Mary Gray, Judith Sutherland and Lak Gill Singh.

Poetry Corner

Mystery

Mystery surrounds us everywhere. Take, for example, a solitary cloud.

Its flaky form gently floats Like a banner in a joyous fest. Then it changes and suddenly falls In rain-tears of inexplicable sorrow. The rising sun paints the sky With the sure touch of an artist’s brush, Yet the earth cracks with a bitter thirst When the midday heat is fully on. Picture postcard mountains of snow Simply wait to flood nearby towns. We study the mystique of our flesh, The anatomy, physiology of living cells, And wonder at their complex work

Continuing daily in a seamless chain. Can we break the secret code, Bluebells Tear down the veil to unmask all? The power of bytes and megabytes, Into the Dene I did wander Echogram, CT Scanner and MRI, To look at what grows there now Try to read the CD-Rom of lives, Soon a patch of bluebells caught my eye See the un-see-able with x-ray eyes? A lovely sight for all to see Pollinated by a busy bee Asit Maitra Their petals so soft, but strong, For all to see as I walk along,

Bluebells can grow anywhere in the garden or by a stream Children pick them when they see them Clutched in tiny hot little hands Put in a vase when they get to gran’s

Seeds blown on the wind Wild and free the bluebells grow Not in rows but in blue clusters The bees attracted to their smell I’m off to look for more in the dell

Brenda Hamilton

Poetry Corner

Life Moves On

As winter changes into early spring With all the blessing this will bring Trees will hide a secret world As coloured blossom is gently unfurled

Cherry pink, apple blossom – white But windy weather provides a sight As scattered colours beneath the trees Always a glorious sight to please

Fruit buds still showing all around As life evolves with so little sound A quiet hum from a busy bee Pollination – sterling work wait and see

Seeds have grown some plants are tall Ready for beds at nature’s timely call While nature never takes a rest Though she alone knows timing best

When scent of flowers is in the air A welcome sight of summer’s fair Bees carry pollen from flower to flower In return may be a little shower

Always treasure nature’s gifts to us And all with care and so little fuss With birds and bees nature’s fold Though so many stories can be told

Life at the pond, the frog, the toad Hoverfly and fish in their abode This is nature’s life all at ease It’s all aboard the gentle breeze

John Reid

23 Information

Look out! Telephone fraudsters on the line!

The police tell us that fraudsters are still operating on the telephone. The scam is simple:

 You answer the phone and somebody in an authoritative-sounding voice tells you that they’re from the police and are investigating bank fraud.

 The voice tells you that, in order to protect your account, you need to transfer your money into an account “where it will be safe”.

 If you do in fact transfer money, you’ve lost it: it of course goes straight into the fraudster’s account.

Detective Inspector Hufton told us: "We want to make it clear that no police officer will ever ask you to move funds from one bank account to another. That simply would not happen. Anyone who says that they are a police officer and asks you to do this is a fraudster. Please you remain vigilant and try and look after family, friends or neighbours who could be susceptible to these criminals. Pass on our advice and contact us immediately if you think that they have had a similar call or been targeted online."

Police give the following steps to avoid becoming a victim:

 Be aware that fraudsters often use techniques to hold your phone line open, so that when you try to dial out to verify the caller, they intercept and re-answer the call, claiming to be the bank or law enforcement.  To ensure that your phone has not been compromised, we recommend using a different phone line to verify the caller. Where a second phone line is not available, try calling a family or friend on the line first, as the fraudster will find it difficult to impersonate a voice that is known to you.  Never disclose your PIN or online/telephone banking log-in information or card- reader codes to anyone, even if the caller claims to be from the bank or police. Remember: banks never call and ask you to disclose these security details.  If you receive a call requesting your PIN, card details or online/telephone banking log-in information, end the call immediately.  If you receive a suspicious or unexpected call, always verify the caller by taking their phone number and getting it checked independently.  Ensure that elderly relatives and neighbours are aware of the fraud and crime prevention advice.  Report any suspicious phone calls to the police straightaway on 101.

Newsletter Costs

Each edition of the newsletter costs the Elders Council nearly £700 to post out to members (plus about £1300 for printing). So we’d be really grateful if you could help to reduce these costs.

1. If you agree to take the newsletter electronically (by email), not only do you get your copy in colour and earlier than if you got it by post; it also means that we’re saving on postage. To sign up for this service see details on pg. 28.

2. If you agree to deliver some newsletters in your neighbourhood by hand, we save on the postage and you get to have a bit of exercise and perhaps meet and chat with neighbours (just ring the doorbell and hand over their copy of the newsletter personally).

We’d be very grateful if you could choose either of these options. Please ring Anne Richardson (0191 208 2701) or email her ([email protected]) and let her know

3. The third way you could help is by giving a donation to the Elders Council to cover postage and production costs. (See the donation form below and on pg. 26). 4. Or you could help by using the Give as You Live system, giving money to the Elders Council each time you shop online (see www.elderscouncil.org.uk).

Donations and Gift Aid

Could you please help by making a Gift Aid donation to help cover the costs of the production of the Newsletter?

……………………………………………………………………………………………….. PLEASE HELP THE ELDERS COUNCIL TO CONTINUE ITS WORK

I wish to donate £7.50 [ ] £15 [ ] £30 [ ] Other [£ ] to the Elders Council of Newcastle and enclose a cheque for that amount. Please send to Elders Council office (address details on page 28).

Name:

Address:

Postcode:

Please tick if you require a receipt (√).....

25 Help needed to hand deliver newsletters

The postage on each newsletter is 63p. At present 64 people are hand-delivering 409 copies, which saves the Elders Council £278.12 for each edition (i.e., £1668.72 over the year). We are currently looking for members to hand-deliver newsletters in the following places:

 Acombe Gardens, Fenham  Birchwood Avenue, Heaton  Bishops Road, Benwell  Condercum Estate, NE15  Coniston Close, Newburn  Craythorne Gardens, Heaton  Holywell Close, Barrack Road  Ingram Drive, Chapel House Estate  Sefton Avenue, Heaton  Shafto Court, Benwell  The Chesters, West Denton  Tynedale House, Whickham View

If this is something you would like to help with, please call Anne on 0191 208 2701 letting her know the area you would like to deliver in and whether you would like to pick up or have the newsletters posted out to you.

………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Donations and Gift Aid

If you would like us to claim Gift Aid relief (so that we can claim back money from the Treasury), please complete the relevant boxes below:

Charity: The Elders Council of Newcastle Ltd.

I confirm I have paid or will pay an amount of Income Tax at least equal to the Amount of tax that the charity will reclaim on my gifts.

I confirm that this donation and all previous and future gifts of money to the Elders Council should be treated as Gift Aid donations.

Please notify us if you wish to cancel this declaration.

Thank you.

Correspondence

Dear Editors,

Breaking down stereotypes related to ageing

I first started taking on the challenge of climbing walls in my late 60s.

I had never climbed before, was starting from a very low level of fitness, and was suffering from leg pain; I wanted an activity where I would be obliged to use my leg muscles.

It is an excellent activity to counteract the loss of muscle mass that can occur in later life.

Physically strenuous, each step is also a mental challenge; rising to the challenge leads to increased confidence in other areas of life.

Yours truly,

Lydia Koelmans

P.S. This photo was taken in summer 2015 at Newcastle Climbing Centre.

Joke

"I feel as though my body has got completely out of shape. So my doctor prescribed fitness classes and I joined an aerobics class for the over-50s.

"I bent, twisted, gyrated, jumped up and down and sweated for an hour. But the class was over by the time I got those blasted leotards on."

Editors’ Note: If you have any printable jokes for inclusion in the Newsletter, please send them in.

Newsletter Information

Newsletter Articles

If you would like to submit an article to be considered for the May/June 2016 edition of the Newsletter, will you please ensure that you forward it before Monday 15 April.

Newsletter in other formats

We can make our Newsletter available in alternative formats (e.g. in larger print or audio tape or an audio CD). Please just let Anne know what format you would like (0191 208 2701)

Electronic Version of the Newsletter

It costs about £1.20 per member to send out this newsletter, so would you be willing to have the newsletter sent to you electronically? If you would, it would save a lot of money every year. So please sign up for this service now by emailing [email protected], please put “E-mail newsletter” in the subject box.

Advantages to signing up for this service include receiving the Newsletter at least 14 days sooner than you would normally receive it via the post; getting earlier notice of events happening throughout the city; and seeing the various images in colour.

What are you waiting for?

Contact D etails

Elders Council of Newcastle Room 2.3 6, 2nd Floor, Biomedical Research Building

Campus for Ageing and Vitality Nuns Moor Road Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5PL

Tel. 0191 208 2701 Fax. 0191 208 2705

Email : [email protected] Website: www.elderscouncil.org.uk Registered Charity No. 1122424